As they left the room, Fin's feelings were all over the place. He was deeply grateful to have a bed to sleep in, and for once, not have to worry about food. But with every step he took toward his future classroom, a crushing sense of doom settled deeper in his chest. His anxiety was so intense, it felt like he was carrying a mountain on his shoulders.
But he couldn't delay the inevitable—the classroom door was now right in front of him. He stopped just inches away from it, but Cornelius didn't. He walked straight through the door and spoke in an imposing voice.
"Hello everyone. Today we'll be doing some mock battles—but before that, I'd like to introduce someone to you. He's a new student. Come on in."
Fin took one step. Then another. And another. He felt more nauseous than after teleporting. His social anxiety was nearly crippling—strange, considering he'd once spent years begging on the streets.
"H–Hello. My name is Fin. Nice to meet you."
"Last name too, Fin," Cornelius said, tapping him on the shoulder.
"I don't have one," Fin replied, a flicker of anger in his voice as an image of his father flashed in his mind.
As the words left his mouth, silence fell over the room. Fin looked around and noticed the space looked more like a gymnasium than a classroom. There were no desks or chairs—just matted floors and walls. Everyone was dressed in athletic, sports-like clothing. That's when it hit him—he was by far the poorest person in the room. His clothes were the plain, worn garments the hospital had given him. The Academy was supposed to welcome all backgrounds, but from what he could see, everyone here was wealthy.
"So," Cornelius continued, breaking the silence, "as I said before—we'll be doing mock battles. Everyone, pair up, grab a wooden sword, and let's get to it."
Fin stood motionlessly while watching everyone pair up with each other. But then something unexpected happened—a pale-looking girl with raven-black hair was coming towards him with two swords.
"Hi, my name is Deryn. Nice to meet you." Fin blinked, caught off guard. He hadn't expected anyone to approach him, let alone someone who seemed Friendly, even.
"Uh—hi," he said awkwardly. "I'm Fin."
She offered him one of the wooden swords. Her grip was firm, but not aggressive.
"You looked like you could use a partner," she said with a small smile.
She handed him a sword, then began warming up. Fin just stood there, watching her, waiting for their turn. Everybody fought—some better than others—but one stood out more than the rest. He was a tall young man with short brown hair and hazel eyes. He looked even more posh than the rest of his comrades, and he had a lot more talent than most. He moved with the grace of a ballerina while dodging his opponents strikes, but each time he swung his sword, all the grace he possessed left his body and was replaced by the strength and rage of a rabid beast.
"He's great, isn't he?" Deryn sighed.
"Let's say that I wouldn't want to be his enemy—or friend, for that matter," Fin said while gulping.
"His name is Ephie of the Trachys family. He is strong and smart, but I believe he is a good guy. He's just a bit rough around the edges, you know." she said while looking straight ahead.
Their conversation was cut short by the voice of the professor—they had to fight now.
"Good luck," she said to him with a bright tone.
"I'll need it," he muttered with a trembling voice.
They walked toward the centre of the room. The gaze of everyone fell upon them. Fin felt overwhelmed at first, but then he grabbed the hilt of his sword tighter and all of his fears and anxiety suddenly disappeared. They looked at each other with intense eyes; they were calculating each move they were going to make. The tension could be cut with a knife. They were both holding their breath, waiting. Then the silence was broken—a clap resounded in the room.
They both moved instantly, clashing their swords, leaving splinters on the floor. They were both moving together like in some sort of dance.
What is happening to me? How am I moving like this? This shouldn't be possible. I don't know these moves!
As his body twisted and turned, he realised how crazy the situation he was in was. He was an orphan begging on the street that fell into a coma. Turns out he had been marked by some weird god; he was then brought to a school he didn't know existed and was now fighting with a girl he had met just mere minutes ago. But as his train of thought ended, a spinning back kick landed on his side, leaving him groaning in pain.
Deryn POV
This is going to be quick. He's nice, but he doesn't look like he can fight.
When the clap rang in the room, Deryn went all out immediately. She wanted to end the fight quickly, but to her surprise, each time she swung her sword at his body, it was blocked—always by the other blade. Not a single strike made it through.
Who is this kid! I'm supposed to think that someone with no name, old used clothes, and that looked so scared a second ago is keeping up with me?
Their fight continued for around thirty seconds. She was exhausted; she felt like her lungs were about to give out. But then she saw it—an opening, right there in front of her. She mustered all the strength she had left, contorted her body, and launched a devastating spinning back kick right on his left side. She was relieved when she saw him bring a knee to the ground, but the fight wasn't over. Fin was trying to get up, so she rushed to finish it.
She ran with all of her might to try to knock him out, but just before her sword could land on his head, Cornelius stopped it.
"What are you doing, you fool?!" he shouted angrily. "Are you trying to kill her?"
Wait—her?
But as she thought that she realised that Fin's sword tip was standing a mere quarter inch away from her throat—and only stopped because Cornelius stopped it.